There is always something beautiful about ODM Kenya.
The characters. The brave achievements. The controversies. And the doubts, even within the leadership. But I like what William Ruto said here. Very stately, very mature and very calm. ODM needs that within its leadership.
It’s make or break for parties
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Sunday Standard TeamMonday could be the turning point for the leading but wobbling parties — ODM-Kenya and Narc-Kenya — as they separately hold make-or-break talks in Nairobi.
Scarred by nomination wars, ODM-Kenya leaders hold their third Plenary to try and resolve internal dissent while at the same time hacking a safer route for a party caught up in intermittent VIP wars.
The leaders will be struggling to disentangle the party from the mess wrought by differences on how to pick a presidential candidate and discussion of housekeeping issues — such as dismantling perception the party is about to split.
Four ODM-Kenya presidential aspirants are expected to return their nomination papers to the secretariat on Sunday beginning 9:30am, though they are not expected to hand in the Sh1 million fee. The aspirants are Leader of Official Opposition, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, former Vice-President, Mr Musalia Mudavadi, Mwingi North MP, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, and Kanu secretary general, Mr William Ruto.
Raila and Mvita MP, Mr Najib Balala, returned theirs last week, as the rest maintained they would only deal with a properly constituted National Elections Board, not a ‘handpicked’ secretariat.
The spirit of the day will be based on the fact that it is easier for the ODM leaders to climb down and support one among themselves than walk into the election divided and probably end up in the Opposition benches until 2012.
Battle to restore order
ODM leaders meet at Safari Park Hotel at 10am. Five hours later, Vice-President, Mr Moody Awori, who is the Narc-Kenya deputy leader, will chair a parliamentary group meeting of the Government of National Unity at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
The VP, who in a bid to stem internal wars over the control of the party expanded the National Executive Committee to 58, with all the aspirants for the chairmanship made vice-chairmen, will be struggling to restore order to a team that appears to lack a captain. His meeting begins at 3pm.
The ODM-Kenya brigade were in the trenches yesterday with Raila pitching camp in Siaya, Kalonzo in Eldama Ravine, and Mr Joe Nyagah in Nairobi where he formally launched his vision.
At the Safari Park Hotel meeting, ODM leaders, piqued by the dismal performance of their candidate in the Magarini by-election last Monday, could either close ranks or walk out.
Interviewed as the week closed, Ruto pleaded with his colleagues in the battle for ODM ticket to rethink their campaigns.
"We must begin to entertain the possibility that each one of us may not get exactly what we want; that each of us may get less than we may have wanted." He added:
"We have to begin to think that even what was thought to be impossible has to be made possible. If Kalonzo Musyoka thought he could not support Raila Odinga, he must begin to think he can. If Raila thought he couldn’t support Kalonzo, he must begin to think he can. That will ease the hostility."
He said it would be better for the presidential aspirants to get half of what they hoped for than to demand everything, break the party and "end up in the opposition benches with nothing next year."
It is the first time the party is meeting after some of its presidential aspirants skipped a function organised by its UK supporters in London in March.
The boycott of the London trip widened the rifts in the party, but has not been satisfactorily explained to date.
Passionate debate
Mbita MP, Mr Otieno Kajwang’, who sits on the committee on elections and nominations, said the Plenary would adopt the party’s constitution, discuss elections and nominations timetable, positions in the National Executive Committee of the party and the composition of the National Elections Board. It could also come up with the party’s Appeals Board to handle complaints.
"Elections Board is likely to attract passionate debate. There is also likely to be strong debate on the election timetable, rules and numbers of delegates and polling stations. But I don’t expect acrimony," Kajwang’ said.
Mr Kenneth Marende, the chairman of the election and nominations committee, said the last Naivasha Plenary set certain deadlines that have passed without much being achieved. Those deadlines will be reviewed on Monday.
"The last Plenary agreed that the electoral colleges were to be there by end of March. But that has not been achieved, so it will be reviewed. There were also amendments proposed, which we have incorporated in the new report. It will be tabled for approval," Marende said.
Confusing supportersHope is high that the party will resolve the wrangles in its ranks and come up with a position on the divisive issues.
Ruto said it was that, or nothing.
"Everyone in ODM must pull back one step. Our supporters are getting really tired, really confused about what we are doing. At the pass we are moving, we are entrenching differences and reinforcing fear that ODM could break up. That must end with this meeting," Ruto said.
In the suspicion that has gripped the party, each presidential aspirant is seen to be pulling away as they undercut each other.
Ruto told The Sunday Standard that the party must create an ODM-Kenya team. "It is more urgent than picking the presidential candidate," Ruto said.
He said the Plenary is meant to
"complete the construction of the party structures. But it will have achieved nothing if it does not revive team spirit in the party"."
There is nowhere else to run to. We are all going to cook, boil, fry or survive in ODM-Kenya. Now that it is clear there is nowhere to run to, we must accommodate everybody. That is why we must create a team," Ruto said.
The MP said he would support any arrangement that kept the "national face" of ODM intact, even if it did not promise him much.
"For me, I want ODM to win. I don’t care the position William Ruto will get. I am prepared to sacrifice my personal ambition to make the aspirations of many ODM-Kenya supporters come true," Ruto said.
"As a party, the national face of Kenya is our greatest strength and what we are selling. We have to be careful to bring on board all the blocks we need to win. It is part of the winning strategy," he added.
Faults
The first two plenary sessions, the MP said, have been fruitful, adding that he expected the third one to be better.
ODM-Kenya secretary general, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o is concerned that the party is expending more energy on ‘side issues’ while the real battle lies ahead.
Marende faulted the stand that presentation of papers will have to wait until the constitution of an election board, saying it could delay the party’s programme.
"
The rational thing they should have done was to return the forms as directed, then come to the plenary and table their complaints. The secretariat that receives the applications is just a receiving area. They ought to have complied. But there are no hard and fast rules. We will agree," Marende said.
But it appears his proposal had been taken with the leaders agreeing to returns their forms today, hours to the Plenary.
The Plenary is the party’s top-most decision-making organ until a National Delegates Congress is established.